The Substitute
by Ms.WrightingFantasy
Summary: After Christine leaves the Opera Popular, who does the two people she was closest to turn to for comfort? MegErik. No like? No Read. I don't mind.


Disclaimer – I don't own PotO.

I really don't know where this actually came from. I finally bought PotO the other day, and I was watching it for the third time yesterday when I really started to pull together the idea for an Erik/someone one-shot. I started thinking about actually doing an Erik/Meg when it was near the end and Erik was singing Masquerade and then Christine came in and Erik got this look of pure hope in his eyes and then you just see it completely get torn to shreds and he starts crying when she gives him the ring. I just started thinking "That's so sad. Who could understand that?" And what's funny was that wasn't even thinking about pairings it was just a general thought that led me to the pairing, because my almost immediate reaction was "Meg! Meg loses Christine too! She would understand the empty feeling of losing Christine." And one thing led to another and I finally sat down and wrote this today. )

I hope you like it. This isn't supposed to be a happy fic. It's supposed to be more "there's no other choice" kind of thing. I hope I got that across.

Oh, one more thing. The _italics_ are Meg singing and the _**italics bold**_ are Erik singing.

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Meg rolled over and snuggled into her lovers' side. At least…she tried to. Erik rolled away from Meg's touch and got up from the bed. He walked over to the edge of his lair, staring out at his lake, not acknowledging her in the least. Meg sighed and buried her face into a pillow. After awhile she untangled her body from the bed sheets and walked up to Erik. His dark aura wafted around him, lashing out, threatening to envelop her gentle light spirit.

They were an odd pair, brought together out of need, not want. After Christine had left, Meg had no one to confide in or gossip with. There were other chorus girls, but none were close to her like Christine, and Erik had been left heartbroken and lonely. In a strange way, they could understand each other.

They had met late at night, long after any sane person retired to bed. Meg hadn't been able to sleep that night or any other night, for that matter, since Christine had left. It just hadn't felt right. She had slipped on her ballet shoes, and after her eyes adjusted to the near pitch black of the opera house, wandered through the corridors between the stage and backstage.

It had been a stroke of luck that they had gone down the same corridor at the same time. Erik shrunk to the shadows as Meg danced by, in her own world, humming to her self. Erik followed, curious as to what the peculiar girl was doing up so late at night.

He followed her that night and every night that week. He couldn't help but wonder as to why she never went to sleep. She only seemed to live to dance. One night Meg had taken to the stage during her dancing and began to twirl. She twirled so close to Erik he felt the air breeze past him. On impulse he reached out and grabbed her, pulling Meg close to his chest.

She let out a squeal and jerked around to face Erik. She sucked in a chest full of air.

"Phantom…" Meg breathed

Erik said nothing.

He took her hand and twirled her away from him. Meg finished her twirl and walked back over to where the Phantom had been. He was gone. Meg turned in a circle, squinting into the darkness, trying to make out Erik. He had vanished. Glancing around once more she headed back to the dorms.

The same thing happened the next night and the next night after that. After the third night Meg began to expect, even look foreword to seeing the Phantom at night.

After about a week Erik caught her as she twirled just like he always did but this time, Meg grabbed his shoulders to keep him from twirling her. He stared down at her and she up at him. Slowly she stood on her toes and kissed his cheek. Erik tensed. When Meg pulled away she was smiling brightly. Erik frowned and started to pull away. A frightened look entered Meg's eyes and she tightened her grip.

"No…don't leave." Meg whispered.

_Christine once spoke of an Angel,_

_I now know who he is._

_He stands before me alone, _

_Heartbroken, and torn._

Erik turned and watched as Meg sang.

_Could he really miss_

_Her as much as I?_

_Now a spot in my heart is an empty hole,_

_Where she used to dwell._

_I often wonder,_

_Who can I tell?_

_Who will know_

_How I feel?_

"You know." Meg said. "You understand."

Erik looked amused.

_**Stupid child you can't compare**_

_**Yourself to someone like me.**_

_**You can't begin to know**_

_**The pain I feel.**_

Erik grabbed his heart.

_**This gaping hole,**_

_**How it burns!**_

_**How could you**_

_**Even know?**_

Meg looked dejected but went on.

_Dearest Phantom can't you see?_

_She has left you _**and **_me._

_I have the same feeling,_

_The very same hole!_

Meg took the Phantom's hand. Erik stared down at their hands. Her small pale one and his large glove clad one. A small sigh escaped him, and he turned and led her off the stage and through a passage way that would lead them far below the opera house.

Meg stared up at Erik. He had brought her down to his lair every night since that night they sang on the stage. Erik still stared out at the lake, not responding to Meg's presence.

"I love you." Meg said taking Erik's hand.

Erik looked from the lake to Meg. His eyes wandered her face then focused on her eyes.

"No…you don't." Erik said quietly, pulling his hand from her grip.

Meg frowned and let out a heavy sigh.

"Shh…" Erik hushed lightly, seeing her reaction. He leaned down and pressed his lips fiercely against Meg's. He, then, pulled away and turned quickly back toward the lake.

Meg let out a lighter sigh, and leaned against Erik's side. He tensed slightly, then relaxed, and draped his arm around her shoulder.

It was all they could hope for, now…a presence to dull the sharp pain of abandonment.

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There you have it! Hope you enjoyed it. Please Review, Ms.WritingFantasy


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